Overview of content related to 'digital library'

Editorial Introduction to Issue 29: Key Technologies for the Development of the Digital Library

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Philip Hunter with the editorial for Ariadne 29.

As we suggested in issue 28, we have the first detailed information on the new post of Collection Description Focus, in the form of a short article by Pete Johnston and Bridget Robinson. Launched on 1 June 2001, the Focus will provide support both for UK projects actively involved in collection description work and for those investigating or planning such work. The Focus is located within UKOLN, which is based at the University of Bath.

An Introduction to Web Services

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Tracy Gardner introduces web services: self-describing applications, which can be discovered and accessed over the web by other applications.

What are Web Services?

The term web services has gaining visibility in recent months, there has been a W3C workshop on web services [1] and the big industry players such as IBM, Microsoft and Sun have been announcing their web services strategies. So what's it all about and should you be involved? This article aims to be a starting point for answering these questions.

Subject Portals

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Judith Clark describes a three-year project to develop a set of subject portals as part of the Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER) development programme.

The vision that created the Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER) grew out of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)s history of engagement with Higher and Further Education Institutions and significant research libraries in the UK. The DNER has an ambitious goal - to empower the HE/Post-16 community by providing quick, coherent and reliable access to a managed information environment that is geared to supporting learning and teaching activities.

Managing Electronic Library Services: Current Issues in UK Higher Education Institutions

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Stephen Pinfield surveys some of the key issues associated with delivering electronic library services.

Managing the development and delivery of electronic library services is one of the major current challenges for university library and information services. This article provides a brief overview of some of the key issues facing information professionals working in higher education institutions (HEIs). In doing so, it also picks up some of the real-world lessons which have emerged from the eLib (Electronic Libraries) programme now that it has come to a close.

Establishing a Digital Library Centre

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

John Kirriemuir outlines some of the issues for the establishment of digital library centres in UK Higher Education institutions.

This article discusses some of the issues that arise when an academic department, unit or institution moves from possessing a few digital library projects and services, to possessing an integrated digital library centre.

The article is based on:

Evolution of Portable Electronic Books

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Ruth Wilson charts the development of portable electronic book hardware, from the first generation in 1980s to the range of handheld devices available today.

Many months after reading and hearing about their introduction in the US, portable electronic books are now becoming available in the UK. Franklin’s eBookMan [1] is available online from bestbuy.com and amazon.com and from some high street retailers, the goReader is available for purchase via their Web site [2], a variety of ebook reading software can be downloaded to PDAs for free via the Internet, and some Pocket PCs are being sold pre-installed with Microsoft Reader [3].

ACM / IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

John MacColl reports on a selection of the papers given at this conference in Roanoake, Virginia, June 24-28 2001.

This report covers a selection of the papers at the above conference, from those which I chose and was able to attend in a three-strand conference held over three days (with two additional days for workshops, which I did not attend). It includes the three keynote papers, as well as the paper which won the Vannevar Bush award for best conference paper.

Digital Developments Amidst the Tulips and Windmills

editor — Tue, 02 Oct 2001 23:00:00 +0000

Christine Dugdale reports on the Digital Library course run as part of the annual Summer School at the Tilburg Innovation Centre for Electronic Resources (TICER B.V.). Netherlands, August 2001.

Well, OK, being August, there were no tulip fields to gambol through, but one can always dream! To be honest, there were no nearby picturesque windmills to be seen either. But we were surrounded by trees and quiet and yet were not far from the modern town of Tilburg in The Netherlands. So, why should I complain? I was there to attend the Digital Library course run as part of this year’s International Summer School by TICER B.V. (Tilburg Innovation Centre for Electronic Resources) at Tilburg University.